Dairy Awards Winners Focus on Growing Business

Relative industry and
farming newcomers have scooped the major prizes at the 2016
Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards.

Mark and
Jaime Arnold were named the 2016 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Share
Farmers of the Year at the region’s annual awards dinner
held at Masterton War Memorial Stadium last night. The other
major winners were Lance Graves, the region’s 2016 Dairy
Manager of the Year, and Nicholas Bailey, the 2016 Dairy
Trainee of the Year.

The Arnolds have no farming
background and first set foot on a dairy farm in 2008. Mr
Arnold, aged 48 years, managed a logging crew and Mrs
Arnold, 35 years, was teaching.

They have been 50%
sharemilking 500 cows on the Dannevirke farm owned by Mike
and Sherynn Harold, and Stuart and Sandra Cordell since
2011.

“Dairying is such a supportive industry, so
it is great to be a part of it.”

The couple, who
had entered the awards twice previously and finished
runner-up last year, won $11,600 in prizes.

“From
entering the dairy industry awards we know exactly what
drives our profitability and how our low-input system is
resilient. It has made us focus on our goals and how we can
achieve them and it has helped us to highlight what we are
driven by.

“We also see the benefits of networking
and getting our name out there to build a good image for
ourselves so that it could open up job opportunities.”

Their goals are to continue farming in the Tararua
district, to reduce debt and start buying equity into a
dairy farm, and to achieve a healthy work and life
balance.

“In later years, we want to give our four
children the opportunity to grow within the industry and to
buy shares into our business.”

The region’s
Share Farmer runners-up are Carterton contract milkers, Adam
and Rebecca Giddens, aged 27 and 25 years, and who won $8000
in prizes.

Entering
the awards has helped the 2016 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy
Manager of the Year, Lance Graves, to grow his business –
Graves Grazing.

Mr Graves, aged 26 years, buys 100kg
calves to rear and then sell as in-calf heifers. “This
business is important to us in assisting us to reach our
goals in the near and distant future.”

Employed by
Willy and Sally Bosch as a herd manager overseeing 315 cows
on the Martinborough farm owned by Jenny Tucker, he won
$7500 in prizes.

His first goal is to go lower order
sharemilking or contract milking by 2018 and to progress to
50% sharemilking by 2021. His ultimate goal is farm
ownership.

A qualified automotive engineer, it is
only Mr Graves second season in the industry. He is focused
on operating a low cost profitable dairy business.

“What is the point of being in business if you are not
making a profit? Having low operating costs allows you to
make ends meet and ensure the business continues to progress
into the future regardless of the payout.”

Maraekakaho farm manager Lewis Knauf, aged 29 years, was
second in the Dairy Manager competition, winning $4900 in
prizes. Third place went to 34-year-old Waipukurau farm
manager Ray Johnson, who won $6050 in prizes, as he also won
three merit awards.

The 2016 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa
Dairy Trainee of the Year, Nicholas Bailey, is hardworking
and outgoing and likes to achieve positive results.

“I also like to help others to reach their potential
and learn more so they can progress in their career.”

The 21-year-old is assistant manager for Robert Hartley
on Bryan Tucker’s 950-cow Greytown farm. He won $7050 in
prizes.

His short term goal is to progress to a farm
manager or contract milking position while longer term he
plans to go sharemilking or enter an equity partnership.

Mr Bailey is a New Zealand Football accredited referee
and oversees Wellington regional games as well as games in
the national youth league. He is also heavily involved in
Young Farmers.

“Entering the awards has helped me
to get some new experiences, especially in the interview,
and enabled me to meet new people and test my
knowledge.”

Second place in the 2016 Dairy Trainee
competition went to 19-year-old Carterton herd manager Ben
Bosch, who won $4300 in prizes. Pahiatua farm assistant,
Logan Mott, aged 21, was third, winning $3700 I prizes.

The Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards field day
will be held on April on the Dannevirke farm where Share
Farmers of the Year, Mark and Jaime Arnold, sharemilk. Also
presenting at the field day will be the region’s Dairy
Manager of the Year, Lance Graves, Dairy Trainee of the
Year, Nicholas Bailey, as well as the 2003 New Zealand
Sharemilkers of the Year, Andrew and Alison Watters. Further
details on the winners and the field day can be found atwww.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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